Aileen Carol Wuornos

Serial Killer

Aileen Carol Wuornos

Overview

Aileen Carol Wuornos was an American serial killer who murdered men in Florida between late 1989 and late 1990. Born Aileen Carol Pittman on February 29, 1956, in Rochester, Michigan, she later took the surname Wuornos after being raised by her maternal grandparents. Her life was marked by instability, abuse, homelessness, criminal arrests, and long periods of drifting. By the late 1980s, she was living in Florida and working along highways, truck stops, bars, and roadside areas where she met men, accepted rides, and sometimes exchanged sex for money. Wuornos became known for a series of shootings involving male motorists. She claimed for much of the case that the men had attacked, raped, or attempted to rape her and that she killed them in self-defense. Prosecutors argued that the killings were robberies and that she targeted men for money, vehicles, and belongings. Her accounts changed over time, and the case became one of the most heavily discussed American murder cases involving a female offender.

Pattern of the Crimes

The known crimes followed a similar pattern. Wuornos met men while traveling or working along Florida roads. The men were later found shot, usually in remote or wooded areas. Several victims had their vehicles abandoned elsewhere, and some personal items were pawned, discarded, or found in connection with Wuornos and her partner, Tyria Moore. The weapon connected to the killings was a .22-caliber firearm. Police eventually linked the crimes through abandoned cars, pawn records, witness sightings, fingerprints, and statements from Moore. The killings occurred across central and northern Florida, including Volusia, Citrus, Pasco, Marion, and Dixie Counties. The victims were mostly middle-aged or older men who encountered Wuornos while driving. Although she confessed to seven killings, she was convicted in six because one victim's body was never recovered. ...

Confirmed Victims: (7)

Richard Mallory Age: (51), Date of Death: November 30, 1989

Aileen Wuornos - Wikipedia